BANGKOK, May 3 (Bernama) -- Thai authorities have seized 5 million baht (RM665,630) worth of state-controlled medical essentials Saturday and apprehended a man suspected of hoarding the items during a raid here.
A report by Xinhua News Agency on Saturday said Department of Special Investigations (DSI) officers, police and officials from the Ministry of Commerce's Internal Trade Department and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raided a two story building and found many medical supplies on Thailand's state price-control list.
Altogether 28,250 face masks stored in 565 boxes, hundreds of alcohol gel in various brands, 8,200 packs of face mask filters, and 1,800 protective personal equipment (PPE) suits were discovered in the building, said the DSI, showcasing the items seized at a press conference in Bangkok.
Since February, the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Thai government has put face masks, alcohol-based hand sanitizers on the state price control list as part of the government's efforts in curbing inflated prices on the market.
The Internal Trade Department said that since the COVID-19 outbreak, hoarding and profiteering on essential medical supplies has become a serious problem since some products did not meet the requirements of Thai laws including the Medical Devices Act and the Cosmetics Act.
-- BERNAMA
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